Her awful train trip set in motion a broad inquiry, recounted in her book An Amateur's Guide to the Planet, into why Americans are so little prepared for the realities of foreign countries.
With the guidance of more than 20 top scholars and foreign correspondents, Belliveau solved hundreds of mysteries that may confound travelers on culture, economics, politics, history, wildlife behavior, language and geography.
Her second book, Romance on the Road, describes the revolution in mate selection by traveling women who take foreign lovers. Belliveau has outstanding credentials as a journalist, lecturer and traveler:
- Graphics editor at the Washington Post
- Assistant financial editor at the Baltimore Sun
- Selected to the prestigious Jefferson Fellowship on Pacific Rim issues at the East-West Center in Honolulu
- Author of An Amateur's Guide to the Planet and Romance on the Road
- Traveler to Europe, the Caribbean and Central and South America, Alaska and Hawaii, Africa, Asia, Australia and the South Pacific.
- Given presentations on insightful travel at Duke University, University of North Carolina, Essex Community College, National Association of Foreign Student Advisors, Youth Hostel Travel Day
- Invited by National Geographic's sustainable tourism director Jonathan B. Tourtellot to be one of 419 experts on world travel to help National Geographic Traveler rate World Heritage destinations.
Today, she is president of her own publishing company, Beau Monde Press ("beautiful world" in French), is a frequent guest on radio and television, and an entertaining professional speaker.
Born in 1954 in Washington, D.C., she now lives in Baltimore's Upper Fells Point neighborhood with her Shetland sheepdog and cat.
She conducts "Business Manners in Europe" and "A Traveler's Guide to the Planet" at the Community Colleges of Baltimore County and lectures as a guest to the "Literary Publications" class at the University of Baltimore.
Refreshingly original, Jeannette Belliveau's presentations are full of great anecdotes, information and insight.
